Musings as I gaze through the windows of my office down the grand walkway...

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Why Choose Greensboro Day School?

Greensboro Day School is one of over
2,000 independent schools from across the United States who are members of the
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In all, these schools
provide a high-quality of education to over 700,000 students from preschool through
high school. Each of the NAIS schools has its own mission and purpose and is
held accountable by a board of trustees and high accreditation standards. They are
called “independent” because they do not receive government support and are
supported by tuition, donations and endowments.

Research indicates that independent
schools are successful because they provide:

High-quality and
committed teachers

Close-knit communities

Hands-on
learning opportunities

Educational
experiences beyond the classroom

Actively engaged
parents

Supportive
learning environments

Provide a high degree of safety

Individualized attention for students

Recent
studies, and those from a 2004 NAIS report, indicate that families chose
independent schools because of these reasons along with small classes,
excellent teachers and high academic standards. Overall, families believe that
independent schools will provide high-quality, well-rounded experiences for
their children. Along with high academic standards families report that their
children also prosper from opportunities to extend their learning in core
subject areas, electives, athletics, fine and performing arts and later, in life.

The
U.S. Department of Education, through its conducting of the National
Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), came to the conclusion that independent
school students enroll in more advanced courses than their counterparts in pubic,
parochial and other private schools.They also found that independent school students:

·Do twice as much homework as their counterparts

·Watch only two-thirds as much television

·Are significantly more likely to participate in varsity or intramural
sports

·Are more likely to agree that students and teachers get along well,
discipline is fair and teaching is good.

While all independent schools set high
standards and emphasize values, each provides a unique educational program
based on its mission and theory of educational practice.
Recent reports indicate a slight drop in enrollment at many independent schools. We are thrilled to report that Greensboro Day School remains strong in both enrollment and financial stability. Our number one priority is to remain constant in our academic and extracurricular offerings. While many local private and public schools are cutting resources and programs, we continue to offer the most challenging academic program in the area, balanced with an award winning arts program and competitive athletics.

If you would like to learn more about
the value of an independent school education, you might enjoy some of these
links: